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It was something of a coincidence that I began reading Paul Feldman’sUnmasking the State: A Rough Guide to Real Democracy (Lupus Books, 2008) exactly two days after David Cameron became the new British Prime Minister. I say this because Feldman explicitly mentions Cameron’s budding political future just a few sentences into the book’s Introduction:
Is David Cameron ready to become prime minister? Who knows and, frankly, who cares because this is politics as a trivial pursuit. (p. 5)
This very tone and sentiment sets the stage for an extensive and frank analysis of the nature of capitalism and its manifestation through the British state. Indeed, Feldman – Communications Editor for the UK-based organization A World to Win – does not mince any words or pull any punches in his assessment of the current state of affairs in the United Kingdom. Unmasking the State is contemporary Marxist critique at its finest, combining the best attributes of a sourcebook and primer as a means to prepare the rank-and-file, street level activists for a battle that is as much cerebral as it is concrete.
The strength of the text is its tendency to provide historical precedents as context for the situations and crises of today. Consider Feldman’s chapter “The Struggle for Democracy” in which he expounds upon the inherent contradictions between real democracy and capitalism. This section presents and overview of the struggles of groups like the Chartists and the Suffragettes as evidence that democratic social movements, which foster organization and mass action, are most effective in their opposition of the oppression and institutionalized stratification wrought by capitalism. Feldman also provides a methodical account of the lessons of Britain’s most recent history in the epoch of corporate-driven globalization, examining the continual efforts of the ruling class to maintain the status quo of the “proxy state.” It is, in a manner of speaking, reminiscent of the very conclusions reached by V.I. Lenin his major work The State and Revolution in which he described the bourgeois concept of democracy as “democracy that is curtailed, wretched, false, a democracy only for the rich, for the minority.” Such is the present state of affairs in the allegedly “democratic” societies of the West.
Feldman concludes Unmasking the State with his effort to answer the longstanding question: “What is to be done?” In the chapter “A Way Forward,” the author argues that the ultimate defeat of capitalism is contingent upon radical changes in the form and functionality of “the state”. Proposing a broad and bold list of proposals on fundamental democratic, economic and social rights, Feldman – on behalf of A World to Win – elucidates the fundamental tenets of a bold vision for revolutionary change:
A World to Win is confident that by making information technology available to everyone, by bringing the economy under the control of communities, workers and consumers, and by discouraging bureaucratic trends wherever possible, the state as a separate body can eventually be dispensed with. (p. 86)
Because the book is largely written from a British perspective and predominantly in the context of the British experience, Unmasking the State will undoubtedly find its largest and most appreciative audience to the working people and students of the United Kingdom. That is not necessarily to say that Americans would not find the work captivating and inspirational at a number of levels. It would be most advantageous to organizers and proponents of mass action worldwide if they follow the lessons of Feldman’s text by developing comparable “action guides” which spur revolutionary changes at local and regional levels. The strategy, in its most basic form is typified in the maxim, “Think globally, act locally.” The ultimate goal – now as always – remains common: We have a world to win.
Preface: I wrote this in early 2010 for a different (now defunct) website. Rather than letting the piece vanish into the ether, I decided to re-post it here for posterity.
The one and only Ox Baker.
If there was ever a man who constitutes the "total package" of a wrestling heel, it's the legendary Ox Baker. In his prime, Baker was a giant among the wrestling world's coterie of ne'er-do-wells, combining an intimidating physical appearance with earth-shaking mic skills. To be sure, it was Ox's look that went a long way towards establishing him as a man to be feared. Sure, he didn't have that Muscle & Fitness physique but in Ox's heyday there was more to a wrestler's physical appearance than pulsating pecs and washerboard-style abs.
In a way, one might well imagine that if The Devil himself was a pro wrestler, he'd look and sound a lot like Ox: a giant of a man covered in body hair and sporting a shaved head, pointed eyebrows and an overgrown horseshoe mustache. Standing almost six and a half feet tall and weighing in at over 300 pounds, he towered over many of his opponents, his demonic countenance wrenched in a perpetual sneer. All that was missing was a set of cloven hooves, really. His promo work was pure hellfire and brimstone, broadcast with a voice that sounded something like a blender full of gravel and glass.
Ox was a big wheel in the WWA, AWA and NWA promotions, wrestling in singles matches as well with tag team partners were themselves future legends, such as Ole Anderson and Billy Graham. As early as 1969, he sported NWA championship gold but his career-defining moment would come a few years later.
Baker was cut from the "big man" cloth for sure and while that was something of a novelty, it wasn't really a sustainable gimmick in and of itself. It was something of a twist of fate that lent Ox the ultimate gimmick.
See, Ox Baker killed a guy. Two guys, all told.
Really? Well...
The story goes that in 1970, after suffering the wrath of Ox's infamous "heart punch" during an AWA Midwest Tag-Team Title match in Omaha, Nebraska, wrestler Alberto Torres collapsed in the ring. He was rushed to a hospital where he died, ostensibly due to injuries sustained in the match. Kind of.
In reality, Torres had a pre-existing medical condition -- a ruptured pancreas -- and he failed to disclose this to the promoters or his opponents prior to the match. Whatever the case,"kayfabe" ruled the day back in the early 1970's and the fans were absolutely convinced that Torres had fallen to Baker's heart punch and nothing else. For better or worse, Baker and the rest of the wrestling world ran with the angle and the incident established Ox as a formidable force within the squared circle and beyond.
In 1975, reality and kayfabe collided again when wrestler and Georgia Championship Wresling co-owner Ray Gunkel perished after sustaining a heart punch from Ox Baker. Baker's official web site claims that Gunkel died in the ring "before he hit the floor" but other accounts indicate Gunkel won the "Texas Death Match" and died later that night. Gunkel reportedly suffered from arteriosclerosis and in this instance, it is possible that the rigors of the match -- including the heart punch -- might have been a factor in his demise.
Baker used the hype and hysteria around the wrestling-related deaths to his advantage, crafting his fearsome reputation with his smack-talking skills and menacing physical appearance into a heel identity like none other. He continued to work the heart punch as the most dangerous weapon in his arsenal throughout a number of promotions and territories including Angelo Poffo's "outlaw" International Championship Wrestling promotion in the early 1980s. In typical over-the-top-heel form, Bake gave a ringside interview to ICW's Tim Tyler about the fury of his heart punch, including a reference to a St. Louis meeting with Ernie Lad who himself fell victim to the power of the heart punch:
You know, a lot of times when a new man comes into an area...people go, "Oh yeah, it's another big loudmouth, he's gonna tell how tough he is, how many people that he's beat up." Well, Ox Baker has never had to do that because when I go to an area, people know that there's a tough human being there. Three hundred and eighteen pounds. Here's a man over here getting himself into shape because sooner or later he knows he’s gotta get into the squared circle with Ox Baker. At the bus station, there's wrestlers takin' bus tickets out of town. There's a lot of wrestlers you won't see around here any more because they know that they'll have to wrestle Ox Baker. Now I have a reputation, I've beat men up from coast to coast, all over the world. I do not brag to tell you how tough I am, I do not tell you I’m the world’s greatest wrestler. I have one weapon, one thing that puts me above everybody else: I have a fist here that knows that if you’re not in fantastic shape, that if you haven’t worked out -- even a couple of guys have joined a spa around here -- because they know they’d better be in shape because if I see 'em huffin’ and puffin’ in that ring because when I raise that heart punch up in all the fury in my body, if I don’t like you, I drive it into your...
(Video of Ox fighting Ernie Ladd rolls while Ox continues to talk...)
Here! Here’s a man who had a great reputation, the great Ernie Ladd! He could beat a lot of guys up. I got in the ring with him, I pounded him in the heart, he said "Please Mr. Ox, don’t hit me again” but he’d called me a lot of names..."Walrus face," things like that...See the punishment? He’s down on one knee, he doesn’t want to give up, he wished he’d worked out, he wished he had stayed home. Now he’s on the ground. You know, it takes...Anybody can kick somebody when they’re standing up, but it takes a great wrestler like me to punch somebody when they’re laying flat on their back. Ernie Ladd, I don’t think that people will see you around here any more. I don’t think after the punishment that I...Look at that...I am there pounding on that heart because this man did not deserve to be in the same class -- he’s not in the same class -- as Ox Baker! ...Look at that, layin’ there...The people are getting mad and getting worked up because people can see he’s not moving. Blood is coming out of his mouth, he’s hurt and hurt bad. That’s the reason. If you lip off to Ox Baker, if you say he’s not a great wrestler...I don’t care if you don’t like me. Don’t bring your mother up in a wheelchair and ask for an autograph. Don’t bring your son around and try to say hello to me. I’m not here to talk to people! I’m not here to be a nice guy! There’s a lot of nice guys...Go out and meet them! Don’t try to come up to Ox Baker and tell me anything!
Ratamyas, Ox's creepiest of cronies, eats fire for an eerie promo video.
True to form, defiant, irreverent and controversial; Ox Baker was all those things and more during the course of his wild career. His appearances with the ICW promotion may have been among the less remarkable times of his career, but there were certainly some gems in his time there. He knew how to make his promo spots personal, not just by tearing down his rivals but also by hyping his own exploits and misadventures, whether they were personal or professional. Teasing a rivalry with a young, up-and-coming ICW Heavyweight Champion Randy Savage, he snarled:
Now Randy Savage, I want that belt. It’s just like when I was a kid and the kids in the neighborhood had bubblegum and candy, I used to smack them in the mouths and take it away from them! (studio audience gasps) That’s the way I’ve always done things. If you’ve got something that Ox Baker wants, I’m going to take it away from you. Now Randy Savage, don’t hide at home with your mother doing the dishes. Don’t go somewhere and say that you don’t want to wrestle Ox Baker. Somewhere, some time, whether you are a man or a coward Randy Savage, you have to get in there with the wrestling machine -- this deadly heart punch that’s beat so many people up -- you will have to put your World Heavyweight belt up against Ox Baker.
That particular angle never came to pass as Baker ultimately swerved into a barn-burning feud with Ronnie Garvin. Baker’s clashes with Garvin were epic in their own right including a memorable incident in which Ronnie smashed Baker’s dentures in the middle of a ring after they had become dislodged during a fight. Baker also used his “star power” to introduce another monster heel in the mysteriously terrifying freak known as Ratamyas. Ratamyas ate fire, vomited a corrosive green fluid into the eyes of his rivals and carved up the faces of his opponents with a mysterious “foreign object.” Ox Baker and Ratamyas were truly a match made in Hell.
Ox saw much of his success while wrestling for the NWA, feuding with The Sheik, Harley Race and Bruiser Brody. Baker worked in AWA in the 1970s and again in the 1980s, teaming with the likes of The Russian Brute to again take aim at his old ICW nemesis Ronnie Garvin. The Russian Brute was personally trained by Ox at Ox’s own wrestling school (Watch a vintage promo with Ox and The Russian Brute here.).
Baker never managed to hit the big time in WWE or any of its older incarnations (WWF and WWWF). But his offbeat physical appearance and unique charisma took him many places including an appearance on TV’s The Price Is Right in 1981 and a role in John Carpenter’s science fiction cult-classic “Escape from New York” the same year.
Ox retired from wrestling in 1988 and took advantage of his hard-earned down time to produce a number of projects including a children’s coloring book and a wrestling-themed cook book. He makes occasional public appearances to share reminiscences and insight regarding the world of pro wrestling and he’s also worked short gigs with the Combat Zone (CZW) and Ring of Honor promotions.
There are few wrestlers who have enjoyed the spotlight in the way that Ox Baker has. His reputation as a monster heel amounted to an uncanny level of infamy that followed him at every turn for the better part of his career. It would be tempting for an aspiring wrestler to emulate him but virtually impossible to do so with the results that Ox found through his decades of work in the industry. There are few like him to be sure, and there are probably a lot of babyfaces who are grateful for that very fact.
It's a nice idea to think that I can add some material of substance to this site more than twice per month but as of late, I've been busy with a host of additional projects and it's proven difficult to write much of anything in the way of new material for greeklish.org.
Last month (or maybe it was the month before), I completed an overhaul of the Erythrós Press and Media site, re-launching the site with a new look and improved listings. Some renewed interest in my Banner of Victory replicas allowed me to fund a new run of them from the flag maker in Australia. The newest batch of flags are made from knitted polyester which is more durable and better looking. We're now selling the new flags on eBay and on our site.
I've also printed a new book using lulu.com. Essential Texts of Marxism-Leninism contains the most important and influential works by Marx and Engels, Lenin, Stalin and Mao in one small volume. We'll likely be adding this to the Erythrós Press catalog in the near future. It is a very simple, "no-frills" presentation of the texts and the book does not include any introductory texts or commentary. I had hoped to use an original photo for the book cover but lulu.com is not entirely intuitive or user-friendly in some respects. At some point, I'll write a little more regarding my experiences with lulu.com.
From time to time, I am contributing work to wrestling and entertainment sites. I've created a couple of new "Action Figure Theater" comic strips for hittheropes.com. One installment features a look at the mythical super powers of John Cena and the other offers a candid look at wrestlers' views on political issues, including the recent changes to Arizona's immigration law. I've also started a series called "Hidden Gems" for the sci-fi and comics blog primaryignition.com. In this series, I'm reviewing obscure back issues that comics enthusiasts might not otherwise have heard about. Thus far, I've profiled issues 1 through 5 of the Eclipse run of Airboy (Eclipse Comics, 1986) as well as Superman #245 (DC Comics, 1971).
Whenever possible, I'm still adding material to the Marxists Internet Archive and my recent focus has been on new transcriptions of speeches and articles by Enver Hoxha. I am also doing some work on the August Bebel Internet Archive.
Somewhere along the way, I've managed to resurrect the archives of a long-absent political website (more on that some other time) and I am also preparing a review of Paul Feldman's new book Unmasking the State: A Rough Guide to Real Democracy at the request of the folks at A World to Win. That review will be posted here at greeklish.org within the next few weeks.
As if all that wasn't enough, I finally seem to have mad a bit of progress on some major personal goals and this certainly is shaping up to be a very exciting time.
Re-presented below is the very first installment of "Kanebert". I made it some months ago after getting the idea from a dream. I actually bought the "Masked Kane" figure from eBay just so I could make this comic strip. The comic was originally posted in early 2010 on another website and since that particular site is now defunct, I figured greeklish.org was a good permanent home for it. Cherish it, folks.
May 9 marks the anniversary of the victory of the
Red Army of the USSR over the forces of German Fascism. Over
20 million Soviet soldiers and citizens died in the fight to liberate
the world from Nazi oppression.
In observance of this important
anniversary, we're presenting two items:
First, a new photo (see right) has been added to our Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya Archive. This is a close-up/detail view of Zoya from her June 1941 class portrait. This photo was provided to us by our friend Nina Lebed. View this and many, many other pictures in our extensive image galleries.
Also, we're presenting the full annotated text of J.V. Stalin's Victory Address to the Soviet People from May 9, 1945. This text -- as well as a number of other annotated works -- is included in the book Red Youth: Young Heroes of the Great Patriotic War which is available through out publishing venture, Erythrós Press and Media.
May 9 graphic by Clara Esse.
STALIN’S VICTORY ADDRESS TO THE SOVIET PEOPLE by J.V. Stalin (May 9, 1945)
After four years of savage fighting and the death of over 20,000,000 Soviet soldiers and civilians, German fascism suffered its final defeat with the Fall of Berlin. The Red Army and partisan fighters of the Soviet Union had beaten back the Nazi invaders all the way to the gates of Germany’s capital city where Hitler and the remnants of his fascist hordes mounted a desperate – and ultimately futile – attempt to escape complete annihilation.
Following two weeks of intense combat in and around of the heart of Berlin, the Red Army finally stormed the Reichstag on April 30, 1945. On May 1, 1945, the Red Army captured the building, occupying the very seat of Germany’s fascist government. On the roof of the Reichstag, Soviet soldiers Mikhail Yegorov and Meliton Kantariya hoisted the Victory Banner in triumph. Documented on film by Yevgeny Khaldei, this moment would become an iconic symbol of the Soviet victory over fascism.
On May 8, 1945 in the Berlin suburb of Karlshorst, Marshal Georgy Zhukov received a written notice of Germany’s surrender, signed by representatives of the defeated German army.
At 2000 hours on May 9, 1945, Marshal Joseph V. Stalin addressed the Soviet people by radio to share news of the Nazi defeat.
* * *
Comrades! Fellow countrymen and countrywomen!
The great day of victory over Germany has arrived. Fascist Germany, forced to her knees by the Red Army and the troops of our Allies, has admitted defeat and has announced her unconditional surrender.
On May 7 a preliminary act of surrender was signed in Rheims.(1) On May 8, in Berlin, representatives of the German High Command, in the presence of representatives of the Supreme Command of the Allied troops and of the Supreme Command of the Soviet troops, signed the final act of surrender, which came into effect at 24 hours on May 8.
Knowing the wolfish habits of the German rulers who regard treaties and agreements as scraps of paper, we have no grounds for accepting their word. However, this morning, the German troops, in conformity with the act of surrender, began en masse to lay down their arms and surrender to our troops. This is not a scrap of paper. It is the actual capitulation of the armed forces of Germany. True, one group of German troops in the region of Czechoslovakia(2) still refuses to surrender, but I hope the Red Army will succeed in bringing it to its senses. We now have full grounds for saying that the historic day of the final defeat of Germany, the day of our people's great victory over German imperialism, has arrived. The great sacrifices we have made for the freedom and independence of our country, the incalculable privation and suffering our people have endured during the war, our intense labors in the rear and at the front, laid at the altar of our motherland, have not been in vain; they have been crowned by complete victory over the enemy. The age-long struggle of the Slavonic peoples(3) for their existence and independence has ended in victory over the German aggressors and German tyranny. Henceforth, the great banner of the freedom of the peoples and peace between the peoples will fly over Europe. Three years ago Hitler publicly stated that his task included the dismemberment of the Soviet Union and the severance from it of the Caucasus, the Ukraine, Byelorussia, the Baltic and other regions. He definitely said: "We shall destroy Russia so that she shall never be able to rise again." This was three years ago. But Hitler's insane ideas were fated to remain unrealized – the course of the war scattered them to the winds like dust. Actually, the very opposite of what the Hitlerites dreamed of in their delirium occurred. Germany is utterly defeated. The German troops are surrendering. The Soviet Union is triumphant, although it has no intention of either dismembering or destroying Germany. Comrades! Our Great Patriotic War has terminated in our complete victory. The period of war in Europe has closed. A period of peaceful development has been ushered in. Congratulations on our victory, my dear fellow countrymen and countrywomen! Glory to our heroic Red Army, which upheld the independence of our country and achieved victory over the enemy! Glory to our great people, the victor people! Eternal glory to the heroes who fell fighting the enemy and who gave their lives for the freedom and happiness of our people!
1. A city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of northern France. General Dwight Eisenhower (1890-1969), Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, formally received the complete and unconditional surrender of the German army at a schoolhouse in Rheims on May 8, 1945 at 0241 hours Central European Time (CET). The surrender took effect at effect at 2301 hours CET on May 8, 1945. 2. The Red Army defeated all resistance in Czechoslovakia by May 13, 1945. 3. Slavs.
Gregory Zinoviev (Jerzy Kosinski) seriously gets his chow on
Last week, I was finishing up some steaks on our charcoal grill when it occurred to me that it would be nice to supplement them with something. I have a small metal pot that’s designed for use on grills (almost like camping gear) and I usually use it to heat barbecue sauce or baked beans. But I didn’t have either of those things that night, so I thought maybe it would be a good idea to heat up some onions in the pan. While I was in the kitchen cutting them up, I figured I’d get creative and season the slices up a bit.
As I looked for ingredients to add to the pot, my mind turned to the scene in the film Reds in which Gregory Zinoviev is eating a mixture of onions and lemons as he explains to John Reed that the mixture fends off scurvy:
Zinoviev: Speak English. Have a lemon. You won’t see one for a long time. Reed: Thank you. I just want to know if you think that I was clear in what I said about… Zinoviev: Eminently clear. Salt? Reed: Salt? Zinoviev: For the lemon. Reed: Uh, thank you…I see you eat the peel with the lemon. Zinoviev: Fights the scurvy. So does the onion. Together, they fight better.
(Yeah, this is exactly
the kind of thing that runs through my mind all day and all night, no
lie...)
I’ve been using lemon as a stir-fry ingredient ever since I got the idea from reading a pseudo-biography about Mao Zedong some years ago and seeing as how onions are a standard when it comes to steak toppings (and the treatment of scurvy, apparently), it seemed fitting to combine them for this experiment.
I grabbed my pot and tossed the onions and steak into it but I figured that there needed to be some other "medium" in the mix so that I wasn’t simply heating the ingredients. Margarine seemed like a good enough idea but instead of going easy with it, I ended up heaping a healthy dose into the pot so that I’d end up with something of a sauté. I also added a few spices for an extra zip and heated the pot out on the grill for a while before serving it with dinner. (The next time I do this, I’ll probably use a little less margarine and more spice, salt and pepper but I won’t corrupt the flavor of the onions and lemons by adding any kind of sauce or herbs.)
I think Thomai (who has a passionate dislike for Zinoviev based solely on how he is depicted in Reds) was as pleasantly surprised with the results as I was. Rather than covering the steak with the topping, we covered each individual bite with a little onion and a little lemon and it all was quite tasty. At one point I commented that it didn’t seem healthy to cover steak with margarine but Thomai said it wasn’t the worst thing you could eat. Hey, at least we’ll be scurvy free!
Gregory Zinoviev's Scurvy-Free Steak Topping
Ingredients: 1 small to medium onion 1 lemon 2 heaping tablespoons margarine ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper salt pepper
Directions: Skin and chop 1 onion. Slice 1 lemon. Combine ingredients in a pot with butter, cayenne pepper and salt & pepper (to taste). Place over high heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. For best results, serve in pot to retain heat. Use as topping for cooked steak or pork, combining lemon (pulp and/or peel) and onion with meat in each and every bite. More stuff Chairman Mao's little red cookbook greeklish.org Gregory Zinoviev Internet Archive marxists.org
May 1st is May Day, which is also known as International Workers Day. This holiday recognizes the achievements of the working people and it is celebrated in locales and countries all around the world.
May 1st also marks the anniversary of the beginning of the 1886 nation-wide strike in support of the eight-hour workday. In Chicago, a mass meeting in support of the workers' movement ended tragically with the "Haymarket Massacre" on May 4.
"Over the heads of the capitalist robbers, over the heads of their
predatory governments, we extend a hand to the workers of all countries,
and cry:
Hail the First of May!"
Selection from "The Worker's Maypole" by Walter Crane (1894)
Be ye many or few drawn together,
Let your message be clear on this day;
Be ye birds of the spring, of one feather
In this--that ye sing on May-Day.
Of the new life that still lieth hidden,
Though its shadow is cast before;
The new birth of hope that unbidden
Surely comes, as the sea to the shore.
Stand fast, then, Oh Workers, your ground,
Together pull, strong and united:
Link your hands like a chain the world round,
If you will that your hopes be requited.
When the World's Workers, sisters and brothers,
Shall build, in the new coming years,
A lair house of life--not for others,
For the earth and its fullness is theirs.
If Chris McCoy is preaching the gospel, then brothers and sisters…I’m a believer. His 2006 CD Colder Chicago Sept. Hymns (Beachhouse Records, 2006) is a testament to his abilities as a lyricist and musician. I first heard samples from the album on McCoy’s MySpace page and was immediately reminded of Frank Black’s first solo album…and yes, you’d better believe that is a compliment. The comparison extends beyond songwriting and musicianship into the ethereal smoothness of Chris McCoy’s vocals. Truth be told, somewhere in there you might also hear a latent edge in his singing that is reminiscent of Live’s Ed Kowalczyk.
All of my quasi-esoteric comparisons aside, one of the best compliments I can bestow upon Colder Chicago is that it’s the kind of album that I’d love to fall asleep to. It’s a strange thing to say about a record for sure, but I have an unusual tendency to at least partially gauge an album on what kind of dreams it might evoke when I doze to it. It’s a paradox of sorts as the music of Colder Chicago makes it relatively easy to fade blissfully away while simultaneously bidding me to pay close attention for what the artist might offer up next. McCoy & Co. lay down some surreal tracks in which shimmering guitar work features rather prominently. All this "dreaminess" is not to say that I haven’t given Colder Chicago an attentive listen during my waking hours, mind you. The CD has actually become a staple in my listening repertoire these days. Here’s a side note to all that: The first time I listened to the disc I was driving around with my 6 year-old daughter and it wasn’t long before she was singing along with one of the songs. I don’t think she really nailed the lyrics though, because I distinctly remember her singing about cookies at one point. But she did like what she was hearing, I’m sure of that.
Colder Chicago kicks off with "Awake & Under" which effectively communicates to the first-time listener the great things that lie ahead on this album. The underlying guitar riff has a triumphant feel that seems to unwittingly channel the ghost of Phil Ochs (from some of Phil’s more upbeat tunes). The song features a well-timed break of feedback that would make Thurston Moore proud, splitting the track into a distinctly acoustic introduction and a triumphantly symphonic finish. No doubt this is a fantastic way to start an album as it brilliantly sets the tone for the remaining set. Subsequent tracks like "XXVI” and "No Devil" capture something of a post-Pixies vibe with a pleasant blend of strong, clear leads that are complimented nicely with subtle effects and background melodies.
"Tonight, This All Is Over" is a particularly intriguing track which is built around a tango-like piano ostinato and a gently driven backbeat. It fits well in the overall tapestry of the album while standing out as a unique gem unto itself. Had McCoy and The Gospel released singles for Colder Chicago, "Tonight" would’ve been a nice follow up to "Awake & Under."
"Take Me Home" and "Westgate" round out the collection of 9 tracks on the album and in some respects it’s actually difficult for me to think of these as anything but two distinct parts to one tremendous song. The hypnotic organ/keyboard melody in "Take Me Home" comes to a fitting end as the loop careens into a brief yet noisy coda. Call me crazy but it really does remind me of the "Star Gate" sequence in 2001: A Space Odyssey with "Westgate" representing the other side of an otherworldly journey.
All in all, Colder Chicago Sept. Hymns is an evocative and enjoyable listening experience. With so much to offer, it’s my sincere hope that Chris McCoy and The Gospel will embark on a revival someday soon and add a few more chapters to their scripture of sound.
Purchase individual songs or the complete album through CD Baby.
My interest in Indian cinema was recently rekindled when I found that an Indian/Pakistani grocery store opened less than a mile from our home. Only minutes into my first visit there, I landed an inexpensive DVD of the 1994 movie Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (Who Am I to You?) which was a terrific find as I had wanted to see the film for years. I first became interested in the movie after hearing the song "Maye Ni Maye" on a CD of Lata Mangeshkar's playback hits. The song is, of course, from the Hum Aapke Hain Koun soundtrack and although I had no information regarding the lyrics or context of the song, I have always enjoyed it a great deal. As Hum Aapke Hain Koun remains one of the most successful Bollywood films of all time, I have been curious about it for some time but it's proven difficult to find an affordable copy in years past.
I watched the DVD over the course of three or four nights. It's a very long film (200 minutes) and it's not always easy for me to commit my full attention to reading subtitles for long stretches of time. It's hard to say that my expectations weren't high considering that this film is considered by so many to be a modern-day classic but I usually prefer politically-themed dramas or historical pieces to romantic comedies and this particular movie was certainly the latter.
Hum Aapke Hain Koun is undeniably fun in many respects. The musical numbers are particularly well-staged and entertaining and I was not disappointed to finally see the performance of "Maye Ni Maye" in its entirety. I especially enjoy the percussion and choral arrangements in the song. The segment of the film that features the song "Mausam Ka Jaadu" features some wonderful scenes of what appears to be an agricultural festival set against some rolling fields and a magnificent landscape. Another of my favorite scenes from the movie is part in which the main characters gather in a courtyard to play a game similar to "musical chairs" in which people sit in a circle and pitch a pillow around from person to person while music plays. When the music stops, the person holding the pillow is "out" and he or she has to sing a song or recite dialogue from a famous film to entertain the other players. In this scene, the actors perform scenes from Mughal-E-Azam and Sholay (and possibly a few others).
The movie doesn't require a lot of thought and it's not an emotionally trying or taxing experience to endure…at least not for the first two hours, anyway. The better part of the film is basically a celebration of the new marriage of characters Rajesh and Pooja as a romance between Pooja's younger sister Nisha and Rajesh's younger brother Prem simultaneously unfolds. The character development is slow yet steady and it's complimented well by wonderfully orchestrated and choreographed musical interludes.
The main plot twist comes well into the film with the sudden demise of Pooja. I had not read much about the actual plot of the film immediately before watching it, so this development came as a complete shock to me and while it did succeed in grabbing my attention, I was also a bit distracted with the question of why it took so long for such a major development to occur. Pooja's accident and her death happen with less than one hour to go in a film which runs nearly three hours. For this reason, the drive to the film's climax seems unnecessarily rushed and this provides an unfortunate distraction from an otherwise intriguing storyline.
I think there are some cultural differences which also made the film fall slightly short from my perspective. The main thing to remember with this story is that arranged marriages are still an accepted tradition in some parts of the world, including North India which is the setting for Hum Aapke Hain Koun. The marriage between Rajesh and Pooja is arranged but this is tempered with what appears a genuine and mutual appreciation between the two individuals. But later in the film when it is Prem's turn to find a wife, he is asked by Pooja whether or not he prefers to have an arranged marriage or one based on love. His answer is something to the effect that he wants an arranged marriage that is based on love. Again, it seems the filmmakers are trying to put the best face on a multifaceted and relatively controversial issue.
There are some real incidents of overacting throughout the movie (such as some silly, "comedic relief" type segments) that were difficult for me to get used to and I am surprised that there was so much of this in such a highly successful, modern piece of cinema. I am also surprised that with such a large cast, the films soundtrack is basically limited to the performances of two playback singers (Lata Mangeshkar and S.P. Balasubrahmanyam). Despite the greatness of a talent such as Lata, it just seems a like a lot to ask of viewers to accept that with so many actors and actresses performing, their "singing voices" are those of the same two people, over and over again. Finally, with respect to the aforementioned plot twist (note that I have been careful as to not provide too much "spoiler" details in case anyone reading this actually wants to watch the film for himself or herself), it's something of an abrupt deus ex machina which involves Krisna working through the family dog Tuffy to bring everything to a peaceful and happy ending. For the characters, it's all good but from my perspective, I couldn't help but feel a little…unfulfilled. It would have been nicer to see the characters work things out on their own without having to rely upon on divine intervention. That's true for real life too, I suppose.
Hum Aapke Hain Koun is surely a "must see" for anyone who truly enjoys Indian films. It's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination and it's not really comparable to most of the Golden Age Bollywood classics. The movie does have a charm all its own, though, and I'm glad I finally got to see what all the fuss was about.
"Maye Ni Maye" from the film Hum Aapke Hain Kaun..!
They say that when one door closes another one opens…or something like that, anyway. I really have come to hate cliches these days. My locus of control is pretty internal, so I don't really look at life as a series of events that involve a person or "being" doing things for me, whether it's something proverbial or concrete. So because a big project of mine recently folded, I am going to make sure and take a good look at my prospects before I decide which doors to walk through. In the meantime, I've taken advantage of some much-needed down time to revisit some things that make me happy. Here's a short list:
The New Duncan ImperialsSticky (Pravda Records, 2000): Everyone should buy this album. I am a longtime fan of NDI, so I pretty much enjoy the hell out of everything they do. Sticky is completely different animal from their earlier stuff, though. The content is still as riff-heavy and as "balls-out" irreverent as their early material but there are some experimental tracks ("Remove Bones from Face Before Inserting in Bird") and out-and-out silliness ("I Like Carp") mixed in to boot. It's a 30-track masterpiece that might well be appropriately dubbed as NDI's White Album.
Sticky features some of my favorite NDI tracks ever, including "Waste Your Time" and "The Freshman 15." And I've said it before but it bears repeating: "Power Tool" is one of the best rock riffs ever. If I ever get famous in any way whatsoever, I am totally going to do for NDI what Nirvana did for the likes of The Wipers and the Vaselines by telling anyone and everyone about them until they get the popularity and acclaim they deserve.
Bollywood films and playback songs: Last week I was thrilled to find a new Indian and Pakistani grocery store less than 2 miles from our house. The shop has a huge supply of DVDs and during my very first visit there, I scored a cheap copy ofHum Apke Hain Kaunwhich was a big deal because I have been trying to get my hands on this film for some time. Recently I've revisited the films Sholay and Pakeezah as well as listening to a heavy rotation of my favorite Bollywood playback songs from Lata Mangeshkar, Chitrah Singh and others.
Pretty much every chance I get, I am watchingthe trailer for The Legend of Bhagat Singhon YouTube. It's still one of my favorite Indian films of all time and that's partially because the actual story ofBhagat Singhis so compelling by itself but also because Ajay Devaugn portrays Singh so effectively. My only major issue with Santoshi's biopic of Singh is that the musical numbers somehow don't seem to fit well with the story. It's still worth seeing if you're interested in Indian history or revolutionary movements…or both.
One of these days I will put together some notes and reflections on Sukhdev Thapar's 1931 letter to Gandhi. Sukhdev 's correspondence famously brought to light some of the most profound differences between the two major camps in India's independence movement.
Erythrós Press and Media: I am currently working on a complete overhaul ofour site. We've moved a lot of books since our launch in 2008, we're just now covering costs on almost all projects and we're looking at releasing some new titles later this year. Hopefully, I'll be in a good position to make a new run of flags as we've moved all of our replicas of theSoviet Banner of Victory. Response to the banners as well as the overall reception for Erythrós Press and Media has been overwhelmingly positive.
International Women's Day, as described
byAlexandra Kollontai, began as “a day of international solidarity, and a day
for reviewing the strength and organization of proletarian women.” Established through the determination
of radical activist and organizerClara Zetkinand a resolution adopted at the
International Conference of Working Women the first IWD was marked in
1911. Today, IWD is
commemorated around the world as “a global day
celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past,
present and future.”
In recognition of
International Women’s Day 2010, here are some biographical sketches of some women I admire:
Nadezhda Krupskaya(1869 – 1939)Married to V.I. Lenin, Krupskaya was a very important
revolutionary in her own right, educating and supporting fellow Bolsheviks in
the years leading up to the Russian Revolution of 1917. Suffering through persecution and arrest under
the Tsar, Krupskaya endured the struggle and supported Lenin through the tumult
that would eventually bring the Soviets to power.Krupskaya was an archivist and librarian and did much work
in the establishment of the new Soviet library system following the
revolution.In 1933, she published
Reminiscences of Lenin, a biography of her husband which is often regarded as
one of the best assessments of his life and work. Further Reading:Nadezhda
Krupskaya Internet Archive
Madhubala (1933 – 1969) One
of the most popular actresses of Bollywood’s Golden Age, Madhubala performed in
over 70 films before her untimely death at the age of 36. Her most celebrated part was the lead
role in the epic film Mughal-e-Azam. At the time of her passing, she was
regarded as an icon throughout India and beyond. She remains one of India’s most beloved film
stars to this day.
Ida B. Wells-Barnett(1862 – 1931)Ida B. Wells-Barnett was a
journalist and activist who used her exceptional talents as a writer and a speaker to raise global
awareness
regarding crimes against African-Americans in the South during the
decades
immediately following the Civil War.She wrote extensively on the problem of lynching in the
United States,
beginning with two groundbreaking pamphlets Southern
Horrors: Lynch Law in All
Its Phases, and a A Red Record.She co-founded the NAACP
with W.E.B. DuBois and others
in 1909. Further Reading:Southern
Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases(full text) by Ida
B. Wells-Barnett
Mother TsaiImmortalized
by Agnes Smedley in her article “No Sacrifice…No Victory,” Mother Tsai
was a
leader of women in the “south Yangtze valley” during China’s War of
Resistance
against Japan from 1937 – 1945.Well into her late 60’s, Mother Tsai worked in the fields with
her
daughters-in-law while her sons fought in the guerilla armies against
the
Japanese invaders.She was an
important member of the Women’s Association, delivering inspirational
political
speeches to to wounded soldiers as they convalesced in hospital wards.She mounted aggressive campaigns
against opium use and corruption in the region, declaring war on the
oppressive
conventions of sexism and exploitation.
Lili Brik (1891-1978)Intimately
involved at a number of levels with the Russia’s Futurist movement of
literature and art, Lili Brik was a close personal associate of Russia’s
celebrated poet Vladimir Mayakovsky.After Mayakovsky's death, Brik penned a personal appeal to Joseph Stalin in 1935 in which she advocated
for the widespread dissemination and popularization of Mayakovsky’s works.She wrote: “…I address myself to you
because I do not see any other means to realize the tremendous revolutionary
heritage of Mayakovsky.”The
appeal was met with the approval of Stalin who famously responded, “Comrade
Brik is right: Mayakovsky was and remains the most talented poet of our Soviet
epoch.Indifference to his memory
and words is a crime.” Her memory lives on in the works of Mayakovsky and the art of Alexander Rodchenko. Further Reading:I Love: The Story of Vladimir Mayakovsky and Lili Brik(Amazon listing)
It was something of a coincidence that I began reading Paul Feldman’s Unmasking the State: A Rough Guide to Real Democracy (Lupus Books, 2008) exactly two days after David Cameron became the new British Prime Minister. I say this because Feldman explicitly mentions Cameron’s budding political future just a few sentences into the book’s Introduction:
If Chris McCoy is preaching the gospel, then brothers and sisters…I’m a believer. His 2006 CD 
My interest in Indian cinema was recently rekindled when I found that an Indian/Pakistani grocery store opened less than a mile from our home. Only minutes into my first visit there, I landed an inexpensive DVD of the 1994 movie 
The New Duncan Imperials
